Trail Ridge Road - Will It Be Open...

[Thom02099]

...for Memorial Day?

They had to clear drifts that were 22-25 feet high. Though the crews have reached the Alpine Visitors Center, they still have a lot to do. And more snow is forecast for this weekend as well as next week. Opening it is one thing; keeping it open for safe travel is quite another. H E R E - Alpine Visitors Center and
H E R E - Trail Ridge/Independence Pass/SW CO is more info on what crews are dealing with, not just on Trail Ridge Road, but also Independence Pass. And SW Colorado has very significant snowpack (200% + above normal) to melt.

[Thom02099]

Horsedoc wrote:
Has the dirt Trail Ridge (one way to the visitors center) opened yet - and how much damage was done to the surface during the winter? That is an interesting drive if one has an afternoon.

That's the Old Fall River Road. It's not open. They shoot for getting it open for the 4th of July weekend, this year being the 5th/6th/7th. That's the one that may not open on time; could be mid-July before it's open.

Trail Ridge Road is now re-opened, hopefully for good for the summer season.

[Horsedoc]

Has the dirt Trail Ridge (one way to the visitors center) opened yet - and how much damage was done to the surface during the winter? That is an interesting drive if one has an afternoon.

[Thom02099]

Trail Ridge Road/US 34 is again, and has been closed, due to snow. The weekend of 06.21.19-06.23.19 was abnormally cool at lower elevations with heavy snow at higher elevations. As of 4pm 06.24.19 Trail Ridge Road remains closed due to snow and icy conditions. News reports indicated there were 5 foot drifts from the snow over this weekend. It's closed at Milner Pass on the west side, and at Rainbow Curve on the east side. For up-to-the-minute information, visitors can call 970-586-1222 for recorded information.

The good news is that the forecast for this week at lower elevations is for upper 80s to 90s, which likely means in the 60s to near 70 up top.

Needless to say, the chances of Old Fall River Road opening over the 4th of July holiday appear to be pretty slim. Best guess is that it will likely be mid-July before it opens.

[d3500ram]

I just heard on the news that it is slated to open soon... good news! But I envision a short winter... As I type, I am getting cold rain with spitting snow and I am sure the peaks around me up high are getting snow.

[Thom02099]

It's officially open. H E R E - A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

I've been going up there for a lot of years. I've never ever seen this much snow, as seen in the attached picture, this late in the season. H E R E - Alpine Visitors Center is the view from the Alpine Visitors Center. And on 9News out of Denver last night, they were still trying to get the Visitor's Center dug out from snow that nearly completely covered both structures.

Was up on Trail Ridge this past weekend. They had it open to Many Parks Curve. It was a zoo up there. About the only thing to do was turn around and come back down. 22-25ft drifts were cut through, according to ranger reports.

[d3500ram]

Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park will not open for Memorial Day weekend.


As winter weather continues to blanket the high elevations in Rocky Mountain National Park, park officials announced Wednesday that Trail Ridge Road would not open in time for the upcoming Memorial Day weekend.

Ongoing snowplow operations in the park were forced to extend due to the late spring snowfall over the last few days, which added to the already several feet of snow from a particularly precipitous winter season. Plow operators came across a buried Alpine Visitors Center, located near the top of Trail Ridge Road, last week, and are used to seeing snow drifts in the park as tall as 18 to 22 feet.

Because of the added snow accumulations, gusty winds and below-freezing temperatures at the higher elevations, it is too soon to predict when the road would reopen for the season, according to Kyle Patterson, spokesperson for Rocky Mountain National Park.

The delayed opening of Trail Ridge Road is not uncommon, according to Patterson. The last time it opened late was in 2017. Since 1999, Trail Ridge Road has opened after Memorial Day six times. The earliest it has opened was May 7, 2002, and the latest was June 26, 1943.

Pedestrians and bicyclists are still able to travel on the road. Crews will post signs to indicate ongoing plowing operations to alert travelers.

The current plow operations began in mid-April, beginning at both entrances and eventually meeting at the Alpine Visitor Center.

Trail Ridge Road is a staple for visitors of the park. Not only is it the park’s main thoroughfare, running from the park’s west entrance in Grand Lake to the east entrance in Estes Park, it has the distinction of being the highest continuous paved road in the country, reaching an elevation of 12,183 feet.

Despite Trail Ridge Road’s delayed opening, Patterson indicated that park staff expect a busy Memorial Day weekend throughout the park. As an indicator, the three campgrounds that accept reservations in the park are already full.

[d3500ram]

12+ inches in SummCo this morning.

[Busskipper]

Thom02099 wrote:
Woke up this morning to a couple inches of snow...in Loveland...at 5000 feet! Bushes and shrubs are all drooping, looks to be a heavy wet snow. I'm guessing there will be snow on the ground in Golden Gate Canyon State Park this coming Memorial Day weekend. Trail Ridge opening? Figetaboutit...

Never happened Before:)

Just an easy way to keep the Spring Flowers Fresh.

Monday will be Great.

[Thom02099]

Woke up this morning to a couple inches of snow...in Loveland...at 5000 feet! Bushes and shrubs are all drooping, looks to be a heavy wet snow. I'm guessing there will be snow on the ground in Golden Gate Canyon State Park this coming Memorial Day weekend. Trail Ridge opening? Figetaboutit...

And...at 8am it's still snowing. Big fluffy flakes coming down now...

[d3500ram]

Yes, snow is good! I know we got a lot but did not hear the total percentage numbers until I watched the link.

Lake Dillon is unusually low for the amount of pack we have but that might be due to the reclamation/ deep dredging project going on... I think they are keeping it lower on purpose.

[Thom02099]

Snow is not melting as fast as in past seasons. For us here in Loveland CO, a telling indication of snow melt is the filling of several of the lakes around here -- Lake Loveland, Horseshoe Lake, and Boyd Lake. None of them are starting to fill. I live near Horseshoe Lake and the feeder canal is the same as it's been all winter. Which is to say, low and not moving. This time last year, IIRC, it was flowing quite strongly and the lake was filling up rapidly. It was full by Memorial Day weekend. Not so much this year. All of which is (hopefully) a good omen for a much delayed or postponed fire season.

[Busskipper]

Thom02099 wrote:
...for Memorial Day?

They had to clear drifts that were 22-25 feet high. Though the crews have reached the Alpine Visitors Center, they still have a lot to do. And more snow is forecast for this weekend as well as next week. Opening it is one thing; keeping it open for safe travel is quite another. H E R E - Alpine Visitors Center and
H E R E - Trail Ridge/Independence Pass/SW CO is more info on what crews are dealing with, not just on Trail Ridge Road, but also Independence Pass. And SW Colorado has very significant snowpack (200% + above normal) to melt.

Snow is good!

Couple years ago we flew the East Coast Granddaughters out to see the Snow at Trail Ridge - But it was still closed - ended up hike to a lake north of Nederland.

Son sent picture of the Snow Wall when he camped the next weekend.

Enjoy the Snow - might just mean fewer fires this summer.

[d3500ram]

Don't know when TRR will open but I can give a current update from 10,000 feet:
Snowing out as I type this Sunday evening. By now all of the snow in my yard would be gone by now. In the north and back fields there are still patches a couple feet deep. Co-workers of mine much higher still have MANY feet in there yards.

This past winter there was more snow than I can remember compared to past years... so much so that moose and wild life were "hanging out" in the plowed roads else they would get "high-centered" in the back woods (well maybe a little exaggeration but you get the idea) ... but there was more wildlife in the town area streets.

The longest day of the year is only a month away and we are still getting show! It melts quickly but the mountain peaks are most white even this late in the year. It is shaping up to be a short summer.

This image from yesterday...


This morning:



It does melt quickly in the lower altitudes... this is moments ago:

[Thom02099]

H E R E - Rocky Webcams is a link to the various webcams in Rocky. My best guess, based on the Estes Park 10-day forecast for temps and precipitation is that Trail Ridge will not open completely until after June 1.